LinkedIn has some unique features that other social media platforms don’t offer, mainly because it is designed as the professional network. One of those features is LinkedIn’s Social Selling Index (SSI) which provides a ranking of how effective you are at four key social selling activities.
If you are logged into LinkedIn, you can find your SSI score on the right side of your profile. You will see your current SSI score, and also your industry SSI rank, as well as your network SSI rank which ranks you against all of your first-degree connections on LinkedIn.
Increasing your SSI is a great way to improve your professional branding, identify prospects, build relationships and demonstrate thought leadership. However, it is important to remember that your SSI score is not the only indicator of your success at these things. LinkedIn claims that sales professionals with high SSI scores have 45% more opportunities than their counterparts with lower SSI scores and are 51% more likely to hit their quota.
You can improve your SSI by posting original content, engaging with your followers and connecting with customers. It is important to focus on building authentic connections and demonstrating true customer value, rather than simply trying to sell them something.
You can also boost your SSI by providing valuable information to your audience, such as industry trends, tips and insights. Another great way to improve your SSI is to leverage LinkedIn Recommendations and InMail credits from satisfied customers.